AS Kigali confident on qualification

Wednesday, February 12th, 2014

AS Kigali

AS KIGALI head coach Andrew Gasambungo believes his team still have plenty of hard work ahead of them when they go to Burundi for the second leg of their Caf Confederations Cup match against Academie Tchite this weekend.

AS Kigali won their first leg 1-0 through a lone goal by striker Bodo Ndikumana at Stade de Kigali on Saturday.

“Winning the game 1-0 doesn’t really give you that cushion but I am happy for the victory because we faced a strong side,”

“It’s good that we attained a good result at the end of the day. I hope to keep a clean sheet going into the second leg,”

“We are happy with the result but I think we should have done better. We controlled the game and they are not a bad team. We hope conditions in Burundi will be the same as what they have been here.”

“We have to go to Bujumbura and work even 10 times harder than we did here in order to win that game and am sure my side will progress to the next round,” he added.

Academie Tchite coach Jimmy Ndizeye conceded defeat, adding that his side bowed to an organised AS Kigali side.

“We gave them too much respect, especially in their central defence where we allowed them to manoeuvre the ball,”

“AS Kigali had more pace than my boys, you could see that especially towards the end of the match.”

Nevertheless, we still the second leg to overturn the score and ensure that we reach to the next round.

“I am sure we will get a win back home because all is not over,” added Ndizeye, former SC Kiyovu and Les Citadens player.

In the first half, Academie threatened with some quick sprints when they tried to break through the midfield, however, that did not work because they could not hold the ball for a long time.

AS Kigali looked beefy compared to them given the height and strength. Players like Rodrigue Muregezi and Hamidou Ndayisaba utilized their physical strength against the opponents whose average age was not beyond 25.

In the first half, Academie threatened with some quick sprints when the tried to break through the midfield, however, that did not work because they could not hold the ball for a long time.

AS Kigali looked beefy compared to them given the height and strength. Players like Rodrigue Muregezi and Hamidu Ndayisaba utilized their physical strength against the opponents whose average age was not beyond 25.

In the dying minutes of the second round, Academie midfielder Handoun Mahmood played his role as captain, when he showed no signs of giving up but AS Kigali packed the backline.

Right winger Corneille Indnahazwe moved back and forth as he tried to make three superb crosses but Cedric Ndanirakiza could not beat the AS Kigali defenders given his height

The two teams will square-off in the second leg in the Burundi capital this weekend, with AS Kigali looking in good shape, thanks to their one-goal advantage.